The Fantasy Basket Outtakes
by JenEsme
Summary: 2 women, 2 generations, 2 marriages on the brink of breakdown...These are some extra stories about SAHM Bella and her helpful mother-in-law that didn't quite fit into The Fantasy Basket. AH B/E & Es/Car
1. Chapter 1

**The Fantasy Basket Outtakes**

**By JenEsme**

**Inspired by Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. No infringement intended.**

**Outtake to Chapter 4—Bella: Meeting Alice**

**Posted 5/9/12**

**Read this before or after Chapter 4 of The Fantasy Basket**

**March 2012**

It was my own personal version of hell—the place I least wanted to be, the thing I dreaded doing more than just about anything else.

"May I help you find something?" a very well-tailored and well-coiffed saleswoman inquired as she approached. "Oops!" she suddenly stepped to the side, avoiding the small yellow dump truck my son had launched off the tray of his stroller. Then she crouched down to scoop it up. "Here you go, Sweetie," she said as she smiled and stood back up, patting his wavy auburn tresses after placing the truck in his outstretched hands.

"My twuck!" Riley flashed his dimpled grin at her. He's not even two and he's already such a flirt. My gosh, he's just like his father—with barely a hint of that crooked little smile and a flash of those bright green eyes, he could get away with murder.

"I'm so sorry! Ri, she picked up your toy for you. What do you say?" I prompted. He patted the fingers of his right hand to his lips three or four times and beamed up at her.

"Oh, he's blowing me kisses. How adorable!"

"Actually, that's how he does the sign for 'thank you.'" I demonstrated the correct sign.

"Well, aren't you a smart boy, learning sign language!" The saleswoman turned her attention to me and asked if I needed help finding anything special.

"Oh," I sighed. "Yes, please! I've got about 45 minutes before my son melts down to find a fancy dress for an awards dinner, plus the shoes and accessories to go along with it. My husband is one of the recipients, so it needs to be nice, but I have no idea where to even start. I'm a jeans and t-shirt kinda gal. I really need some help! He asked me to find a new suit for him to wear, too. He can probably swing by after work for the tailoring, but…" I checked my watch and sucked a breath in through my teeth when I realized how little time I had before Riley would probably start to fuss. "I may have to come back after lunch to look for that."

"That's fantastic! What kind of award has he earned?"

With an embarrassed chuckle, I replied, "He's number 19 in this year's 'Top 30 Under 30.'"

"Really?" she gasped. "Congratulations! I read that in the paper every year and those people are all _very_ accomplished. What does he do?"

I'd been meaning to ask Edward more about why he was getting the award. I hated to give a generic, watered-down answer. "He's a doctor over at Greene. He's been working with his mentor and his team on a new procedure that will make heart surgery a lot safer and more effective."

"Wow, that's impressive! I can see why you'd want to look extra special for the dinner. We can definitely help you with that. In fact, since you need things from several different departments, I'd like to call in our personal shopper. She can pull together a few outfits for both you and your husband and we'll get you out of here in no time."

"That sounds great. Thank you."

I slid the hangers along the racks while I waited, looking at so many different dresses and feeling my stress level rise with each new style and color. It's so hard for me to envision what something's going to look like once I try it on, and I don't even really know what kind of dress is appropriate for this event. Before Riley came along, I would take ten or twenty choices into the dressing room with me, hoping that one would look all right with my pasty white skin and mousy brown hair. I can't do that anymore. There's no way he'd have the patience to sit through all that.

Our saleslady returned and I let out my breath, relaxing with the thought that help had arrived. "This is Alice, our personal shopper. She is going to help you find the perfect outfit for the awards dinner, so I will leave you in her capable hands. You're going to look stunning, I just know it." I smiled at her kindness and thanked her as she turned to leave.

"Hi Alice, I'm Bella."

"It is SO nice to meet you, Bella!" She held a small, warm hand out to shake mine. "And who is this?" she asked, turning toward Riley, who was occupied with picking goldfish crackers one-by-one out of the stroller's cup holder and placing them into his mouth. Alice was lovely, with dark, short, spiky hair and large, grey, mirthful eyes. She couldn't have been more than five foot three or four in her high heels, but she had a huge presence, exuding a sense of warmth and enthusiasm all around her. He clothes were very stylish—conservative enough to appeal to the typical Nordstrom customer, with a few quirky and fun touches to convey youth and vitality. I felt happy and more at ease in her presence.

"This is Master Riley."

"My twuck!" He smiled and lifted his dump truck up aloft for her to see.

"Very cool, little man. Did you know that I want a yellow car someday?"

"Lellow?"

"That's right—a yellow Porsche!"

"Lellow Porch and my twuck!"

"That's right, Buddy!" she giggled and turned to me. "He's so cute. I can't wait to have kids someday."

"Well, I don't know where you'll put the car seat in your yellow Porsche!"

She laughed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, well… we'll just have to figure that out once all my dreams come true, right? Meanwhile, I hear that your Prince Charming is taking you to the ball and you both need something to wear."

"That's about right. I'm worried that Riley won't cooperate for too long, though. It's almost his lunch time."

"Don't worry about it. I'll get you out of here in a jiffy. If you'll allow me to be your own personal fairy godmother this morning, Miss Cinder-Bella, we'll find something that'll knock the prince's socks off." We had arrived at a small sitting room. Alice offered me a drink as I lifted Riley out of his stroller and guided him in the direction of a basket of toys and books. She asked about Edward's height and weight, but didn't inquire about my size at all. "You just relax right here for a few minutes and I'll be back with some things I think you'll love."

Riley and I had read The Cat In The Hat and were halfway through Green Eggs and Ham when Alice knocked on the door and rolled in a rack full of elegant dresses, a couple of men's suits, several pair of shoes, and a tray of jewelry which she quickly arranged into complete coordinated outfits on the hooks lining the walls. I have no idea how she pulled it all together so quickly. She must have some sort of super human speed or something. All three choices she displayed were absolutely gorgeous.

"Alice, how in the world did you…"

"Oh, I have so much fun! I just love my job. And shopping for a young, beautiful woman like you is such a joy. Most of my clients are much older and conservative, and very much set in their ways. They're great people, but you're just so fun to shop for. This is great. I can't wait to see these dresses on you. Let's start with the green one, shall we?" She began taking it off the hanger. "I brought a black one in, just in case, but I really hope you like one of the other colors. I want you to stand out and shine among all the little black dresses that will be there." She rolled a folding screen in front of one of the outfits on the wall and within just a few minutes she was zipping me up and clasping a necklace around my neck. I looked in the mirror and my jaw dropped open. It was perfect—a perfect fit, the perfect color, and all the accessories and shoes were just… perfect! That's what I thought, anyway.

"Oh Alice, I love it!"

Alice walked around me, pulling and tugging to adjust the dress a few times, and bit the inside of her cheek. "Do you? That's great! Let's try the blue one, just for a comparison. The baby's still doing ok, right?" I glanced over to see that Riley had dumped out the whole basket of toys and had a car in each hand, driving them under and around the furniture legs. He was completely oblivious to us.

"We should be ok for awhile."

"Great!" Alice deftly unzipped and unclasped and had me out of the green dress and into the beautiful indigo-blue one before I had even stepped out of the first pair of shoes. Before turning me toward the mirror, Alice bounced and gave a little squeal. "Oh Bella, I think this is the one!" I gasped as I caught the first glimpse of myself in the mirror. I thought the green dress was perfect, but this one was even better.

"Oh my gosh. It's gorgeous." I turned to look at myself from every angle and nodded my head, smiling widely as Alice lifted my hair into a makeshift up do. "This is it."

"Yay!" Alice was practically vibrating with excitement. "The cut is absolutely perfect for your figure. You look HOT, if I do say so myself. You'll be the envy of every woman there—looking like this AND being married to one of the Top 30?" She gave a little whistle and fanned herself with her hand. "Look what I found to go under it," she added with a sly little wink in the mirror. She brought a hanger out from behind me, revealing some very sexy lingerie the exact color of the dress. I bit my bottom lip and looked down, blushing.

"Come on, Bella, I know Prince Charming will appreciate this."

I giggled nervously. "I guess so…"

"Of course he will, it's gorgeous! And look what I found for him. This suit is just luscious, and I was hoping you'd pick the blue dress, because I found the perfect shirt and tie to match."

"He'll look good in that. I'll call to see when he can come and try it on." I reached for my phone as Alice put away all the items she had brought in. "It turns out he can come and meet us for lunch now, Alice, and try on the suit after we eat. Do you get a break? Would you like to join us at Boudin's?"

"I'd love to!" Alice squealed. She clocked out at the cash register, put my items in the "hold" area, and we started for the sandwich shop.

"Thanks so much for inviting me, Bella. I haven't lived here long and don't know too many people yet, but I just get the feeling that we're going to be great friends." She was telling me all about her husband Jasper and how they'd moved here from Texas just after their wedding a year ago, when Edward entered the restaurant. I had my back to the door, but Alice's eyes grew wide and she said, "Wow. This must be Prince Charming?"

I turned, smiled at him in his blue scrubs, and waved him over to us. "I got you a turkey on wheat and a lemonade so you don't have to wait in line."

"Thanks, Babe." He pecked me on the cheek but his eyes were on the small boy lifting his arms up and shrieking "Daddy!" Edward lifted Riley out of his booster seat, throwing him in the air above his head and catching him a few times. "Hey Ri-Bread, how's my mini-me?"

"Hey E, you're taking your life in your hands there. He just ate lunch and drank a whole sippy of milk."

"Ooh!" Not wanting to be puked on, he stopped tossing the baby and set him on his shoulders, looking in all different directions, asking, "Where'd he go? Where's Riley? Ri? Excuse me, ma'am, (to Alice) have you seen a little boy about yay big?" to the delighted giggles of our son and Alice as well. I just shook my head. He's such a spaz sometimes.

"Edward, this is Alice. She found us both the perfect things to wear to your party next week."

"Pleasure to meet you, Alice." He extended his right hand, holding Riley's foot with his left. "Thanks for your help. Bella's not too fond of shopping, so you're probably her new best friend." She and I chuckled and nodded. It's like he'd read her mind—she and I had just talked about the same thing. You know, I have a feeling she _will_ be my new best friend.

* * *

A/N

Alice and Jas are not related to the Cullens or Bella or each other (except through marriage) in this story, 'cause that just bugs me! They're just friends-Like Besotted & me. She pulls the best parts of this story out of me. Thanks!

Do you have a friend who pulls you out of your comfort zone?

Thanks for reading. I'd love to know what you think.

JEN


	2. Outtake to Ch 6Bella's Wedding Shower

**The Fantasy Basket Outtakes**

**By JenEsme**

**Inspired by Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. No infringement intended.**

**Outtake to Chapter 6—Bella's Wedding Shower**

**Posted May 26, 2012**

September 2008 – Seattle

I looked over at Esme as she drove and I couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was hard to take her seriously in the black and rhinestone cat-eye glasses she wore.

"What?" she asked. When she glanced over at me, she started to chuckle, too. Must've been my beehive hairdo with the little pink bow in it. We were en route to the "50s Housewife" shower that Edward's sister-in-law, Rosalie, was hosting for me. I'd never heard of a costume bridal shower before, but, whatever—we'll see. I felt ridiculous. It was so embarrassing that I'd be meeting most of the guests for the first time while wearing a pointy cone-boob bra and a dress that looked like a tablecloth. Esme and Rose and I had gone to a vintage store called Flashbacks the week before, and sorted through the 50s rack until we'd each found a dress.

I'd been up in Seattle for the past 3 weeks, working on the wedding. Edward's grandfather was coming out of retirement to marry us in the church where he'd been a pastor for almost 50 years. It was kind of a Cullen family tradition. Edward's parents had been married there and so had his brother, Emmett. I didn't go to church much growing up. I didn't have any strong ties compelling me to get married in Phoenix so I thought it would be nice to continue my soon-to-be family's tradition. Planning a wedding in Seattle while I lived in San Diego was pretty challenging, though, and since my fiancée was working crazy hours at the hospital in order to be able to take some time off for our honeymoon, it made sense for me to spend the last few hectic weeks before the wedding in Seattle.

Staying with the Cullens was a little awkward and intimidating at first. I barely knew them, and their home can only be described as a mansion. It's beautiful and huge! But Esme quickly put me at ease, making me feel at home and enthusiastically helping with as many of the wedding preparations as she could fit into her work schedule. It turned out to be a great way to get to know them better. They are the nicest people, and they're so good to each other. I was approaching the kitchen one evening when Carlisle arrived home from work. They didn't realize I was there. I watched him walk up behind Esme as she chopped some carrots for a salad, wrap his arms around her waist, and nuzzle his face into her neck. The contented smiles on both of their faces as she set down her knife, leaned her head back into his shoulder, and turned to give him the most tender, loving kiss were touching, moving. It was so lovely to see. I hope Edward and I are still so affectionate when we've been married 35 years. Hee hee—married! I'm going to be married in 12 days! To Edward Cullen! But first there was the matter of the shower.

"…And my friend Carmen will be there with her daughter Gianna. Gianna's a few years younger than you. She a freshman at U-Dub. There may be a few friends of Rose's there, too, but other than that, I'm afraid you'll be surrounded by a bunch of old moms like me, Bella. They're all so excited to meet you!" Esme was giving me the rundown on who would be attending the shower. She and Rosalie are the only people I know who would be there, and I felt a little nervous and kind of greedy to be accepting gifts from strangers, but when I'd tried to beg out of it a month ago, telling Rosalie that she really didn't need to go to all the effort, what with her new baby and all, she snorted at me.

"Uh, it's not really about you, Bella. Sorry to burst your bubble. I know you're the bride and all, but this gig's for Mama Cullen. You should have seen how thrilled she was when I offered to throw you a shower up here. She can't wait to show Little Eddie's girl off to all of her friends. She's been talking about you so much, and everyone wants to get to know you." Right. The true me, beehive hairdo and all.

I adjusted my little white gloves and took a deep breath for courage as we rounded the corner toward Rose and Emmett's house. Esme started giggling and I joined her as I looked up through the windshield of her Landrover to see a whole flock of pink plastic flamingos covering Rose's front lawn. There must have been at least 50 of them. It was hilarious, and only a small taste of the 50s kitsch that awaited us inside. Rose had gone all out with the decorations, the food, the games… After introducing ourselves with a "find your 50s partner" ice breaker (Ozzie & Harriet, Ward & June, Desi & Lucy…) and taking some photos in our costumes with the flamingos outside, we split into two teams for a Housewife Relay. It was hard to stop laughing as we passed the handkerchief to our teammates and watched as they ran to complete the next task on the list: putting a casserole in the oven, changing a doll's diaper, folding a basket of laundry, setting the table, dusting, and the final challenge, pouring a drink, applying fresh lipstick, and greeting our "husband" (a cheesy picture of a 50s guy in a suit and hat, pinned to the outside of the front door) as he arrived home. Esme's friend Kate planted a big, red, kiss on the picture, winning to thunderous cheers from her team and catcalls from the opponents. She lifted the highball glass in a toast and took a sip of her "husband's" cocktail as she closed the door, shutting him out of our party. Esme's friends were a fun bunch.

Once the excitement from the relay died down, we settled in with lunch—finger sandwiches, a lovely green jello mold, and iced tea in vintage glasses. As we ate, Rosalie sent around a basket and asked each married woman to select a slip of paper from it. One by one, the guests read the "Rules For a Happy Marriage," and shared a story or bit of advice related to it.

"They actually used to teach girls these things in their Home Ec classes. Can you imagine?" Rosalie was shocked. "So after you read your 'rule' you can share, based on your experience, whether you agree or not, and then tell Bella something that really does work."

It was kind of nice that most of the guests were Esme's friends who had been married awhile. (Sometimes more than once.) They had a lot of advice to share. The old rules were ridiculous. We were laughing and making fun of them:

Rules for a Happy Husband:

_1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal - on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) are part of the warm welcome needed. _

_2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift. _

_3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too. _

_4. Over the cooler months of the year, you should prepare & light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction._

_5. Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part. _

_6. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. _

_7. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him. _

_8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first—remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours._

_9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, and his very real need to be at home and relax. _

_10. Your goal: Try to make your home a place of peace, order, and tranquility where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit._

_11. Don't greet him with complaints and problems. _

_12. Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day. _

That one caused quite an uproar, even from the ladies who had been quietly nodding in support of the previous rules.

_13. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind. _

_14. Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him._

People were starting to get angry at this point—it had gone beyond the point of making fun. Thankfully, Esme got the last rule, and the last word:

_15. A good wife always knows her place._

"That's absolutely right," she stated, to our shock. "Her place is in the home or in the office or out in a field. Her place can be in a classroom or a boardroom, a laundry room or an operating room. Her place is wherever she wants to be, as long as she's standing right next to her husband, talking, loving, supporting each other, compromising, making good decisions together, standing side-by-side as equals."

Esme won the prize for best advice—a frilly apron that Rose had made. But I think I won the prize for best mother-in-law.

A/N

This started out simply being a post of the list of those silly rules. I couldn't resist telling you about Bella's shower, though. This is unedited, unbeta'd, and a first draft. I didn't have time to make it pretty.

Thanks for reading. I'd love to hear your advice or comments on the "Rules for a Happy Husband," and I always appreciate hearing what you think about The Fantasy Basket.

-JEN


	3. Outtake to Ch 8 - Man to Man

**The Fantasy Basket**

**By JenEsme**

**Inspired by Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. No infringement intended.**

**Outtake to Chapter 8—Man to Man **

**Carlisle & Edward During the Girls' Passionista Party**

**Posted 10/10/12**

2012

"Thank god, he's finally asleep." I dropped into the couch, exhausted. "How can someone so little be so much work? Sometimes I wish Riley had an off switch."

My dad just laughed at me. "He reminds me of you." He closed the refrigerator door.

"Yeah?"

Dad nodded and handed me a beer. "You were full of energy. And you were so LOUD!"

"Really?" I twisted the cap off and took a sip.

"You had to be, to get any attention with Emmett around. He was SO much bigger than you. You were a scrawny little thing, tall and skinny, and four years younger."

"Gee, thanks." I yawned. "Man, two days in a row with him and I'm beat! I don't know how Bella does this every day."

"You should tell her that. Let her know you appreciate it."

"I s'pose…" _I need to tell Bella a lot of things. She really tore into me last night about keeping her in the dark about stuff. I never really thought about it that way, but she was really pissed. _

"How are you and Bella doing?"

I shrugged and looked at my beer. "Fine," I lied. _Actually, I'm scared to death of what's happening between us. _

"You know, your mom and I had a really hard time after we had kids. It's a pretty tough adjustment." I raised my eyebrows, curious. "There were a few years that we barely even spoke to each other."

"What? That doesn't seem like you and Mom."

He nodded. "Yeah. I had this misguided notion that the harder I worked and more money I brought in, the better things would be. Taking care of the family, you know?" He took a sip and chuckled, shaking his head. "She didn't quite see it that way."

"Shit… that sounds familiar."

"Women and men are just programmed differently. I thought I was doing everything right, but she thought I was an asshole."

I nodded in agreement.

"A happy marriage takes a lot of hard work, Son."

"So what did you do? How'd you get from barely speaking to where you are now?"

"Well, I started spending some time alone with her, away from you and Em."

"So having kids is the problem and escaping from them is the solution? Couldn't you have told us this about three years ago?"

"Take the easy way out, huh?" he laughed. "No, we just needed to put each other first and that required some time to talk to each other again without all the interruptions. Talking, communicating, listening to _her_ instead of talking about myself, that's the big thing. We needed to remember why we fell in love in the first place and then get back to something resembling that. And then my dad taught me that…"

"Grandpa Ed?"

"Yep. As a pastor, marriage counseling was part of his job. Anyway, he said I needed to figure out what makes her tick, what makes her happy, and to do whatever that was for her every single day. So I did a little detective work and listened really closely to things she said to try to figure it out. When I still didn't have a clue, I just asked her outright what she wanted from me."

"What'd she tell you?"

"Hm Mm," he shook his head. "It's different for everybody. You have to figure Bella's out for yourself."

"Ssss…" I hissed. "You're no help at all!"

"Edward! Just talk to her, pay attention to her. You'll figure it out. And once you know, then you give her some of whatever that is every day. It could be hugs and kisses, it could be making her coffee every morning, it could be little presents or carving out time to spend alone with her, it could be compliments or back rubs or whatever. Whatever makes her happy. And trust me, when you make your woman happy, the rewards are well worth it." He raised his eyebrows at the innuendo as he swallowed the last of his beer.

"Oh, Dad!" I grimaced. "Jeez, that's Mom you're talking about. Gross!" I cringed inwardly, trying hard not to show him how revolting it was for me to hear about him and Mom.

He grinned. "Mom's a happy woman! Definitely worth the effort."

"Ugh!" I stood and took our bottles to the recycling bin, hoping the change of scenery would scrub the thoughts of my parents… together… out of my mind.

"What are they doing tonight, anyway? What's this party they went to? Bella said I should ask you."

Dad laughed out loud and slapped his knee. "That girl does have a sense of humor…"

**A/N:**

It's short, I know. This was part of Ch. 8 that I cut when I decided that the story would be told solely from Esme's & Bella's perspectives. Hope you liked this visit with our boys.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think.

Jen


	4. Outtake to Chapter 18-Visit From Charlie

**The Fantasy Basket Outtakes**

**By JenEsme**

**Inspired by Stephenie Meyers' Twilight series. No infringement intended.**

**Outtake to Chapter 18—Bella: A Visit From Charlie and Sue**

A/N: This happens between chapter 16, when Edward took Bella on the cruise for her birthday, and chapter 18, when Edward was working so much that Bella worried he was slipping back into his distant ways, commenting, "…you spent hardly any time at all with us when my dad and Sue were here last week. What's going on?"

Not beta'd—Mistakes are all mine.

**Posted 11/28/12**

September 2012

I was chopping vegetables for a stir fry when I heard the anticipated knock on the door.

"Papa Cha-wie! Mama—Papa Cha-wie!" Riley shrieked and tore through the house toward the front door.

"Is it them, Ri?" I followed behind him, wiping my wet hands on a dishtowel. Riley was bouncing with excitement at the sight of his grandparents through the sidelight window. I caught a glimpse and grinned at them as I unlocked the deadbolt.

As long as I could remember, my dad Charlie and I had gone on vacation every August, exploring the western U.S. We'd seen all the beaches and cities of California, visited the lush green of the Pacific Northwest, and explored the desert wonders of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. When I was in college, we would "take the long way," discovering new places for a week on the way to San Diego where he delivered me at school. And now that I was on my own, Charlie continued our August tradition with a visit every year. He remarried last fall, so for this year's visit, he was joined by my stepmom Sue.

"Hey guys, welcome!" I held the door open wide and hugged them as they entered. Charlie scooped Riley into his arms and listened as his grandson babbled excitedly. I'm not sure how much my dad understood of Riley's toddler-speak, but he seemed to be very interested in his conversations and was all smiles. Charlie and Riley were best buddies throughout their week-long visit. At one point, Charlie was laid out flat on his belly on the floor, playing trucks with Ri. It was so cute I took a picture. When we went to Sea World, Riley would have nothing to do with _me_. He only wanted to hold hands with Papa Cha-wie, or sit next to Papa Cha-wie, or ride on Papa Cha-wie's shoulders. It was great to see my dad so engaged with my son. He's usually very quiet and reserved. He keeps to himself and doesn't hover, doesn't chatter or pry. As we spent their visit talking and catching up, Charlie seemed more animated and talkative with me, as well. It's like he was a whole new man. I mused that Sue had been a great influence on him since they married, bringing him out of his shell. He seemed so much happier than I'd ever seen him. It was really nice to see.

"You seem really happy, Dad." We were alone. Edward was out for a run and Sue was reading Riley a bedtime story upstairs. "Married life must be treating you well."

He bobbed his head and his mustache twitched. "Yep."

"Sue's great. I really like her a lot." We'd met a few times before, but this was the first visit where we weren't focused on the wedding or Riley's birth or another big event, so I had the chance to get to know her better.

"Yeah, me too," we both chuckled.

"You must have been so lonely all those years." My mom had cheated on him and left him when I was three and it had seemed to me that he'd never really gotten over her—until he met Sue.

He looked at me and smiled, "Nah, I had _you_ every weekend, kiddo."

"That's different, Dad." He shrugged and nodded.

"Well, Renee… I did a lot of things wrong with Renee. Being with Sue has made me realize that." I pulled my feet up underneath me on the couch next to my dad and listened eagerly as he told me a about life with my mom. I'd never heard much of his side of their story—not like the earful of complaints I'd constantly gotten from Renee about him—and putting the two sides together finally gave me a clearer picture. My parents met the summer after high school graduation. He was smitten. She thought he was just a good looking summer fling. Then they got pregnant. He was thrilled. Dreams of a wife and family to take care of were coming true—earlier than he'd hoped, but he was happy to have his "picket fence" nonetheless. Her dreams, however, of college and travel and adventure, were dashed. He was an old soul. She wasn't ready to grow up just yet. They tried to make it work. They both loved me in their ways, but she was miserable settling down, so she flew. And that made Charlie miserable. His heart was broken, irreparably it seemed.

"We just weren't a team. We didn't want the same things. I loved her and I gave her everything I could. But what I had to offer just wasn't what she wanted." He cleared his throat. "I never really got over her until Sue came along and gave me a swift kick in the pants. I only wish I'd realized that years ago… decades ago." He closed his eyes and shook his head before turning to face me. "My biggest regret is that I wasn't there for you 100% while you were growing up."

"Dad!"

"God, I wasted so much time, Bells. I was so… vacant. And now you're all grown up. I'm so sorry I wasn't a better father." His brow was knit, his face shadowed with regret.

"Dad—stop! I never knew anything different, so I never felt anything was wrong. Maybe I felt like I needed to take care of you sometimes, but…"

"Exactly! _I_ was supposed to take care of _you_. Not the other way around." He scratched the back of his neck, as he always had when stressed or worried.

"Dad, you were nineteen when I was born. You did the best you could. Jeez, I was twenty five when I had Riley and I feel like I'm going to lose it half the time. Please don't beat yourself up over this. If you need to hear the words, then I'll say them: I forgive you, Dad. But I don't really feel like there's anything to forgive, ok? You may not have been the most demonstrative or talkative of parents, but I always felt loved and secure, and that's what a kid needs most, right?"

He squeezed my shoulders and nodded thoughtfully.

"I love you, Dad." I leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

"I love you, too, Bells. Sorry I didn't say that enou…"

I covered his mouth with my fingers. "Charlie. Stop! You're starting to freak me out with all this talk!"

He chuckled. "Yeah, me too!" We both laughed and then he got a serious look on his face again.

"I'm sure glad you have Edward, Bells. He seems to take good care of you. I hope he makes you happy." I looked into his eyes, thinking about my own marriage compared to that of my parents. Despite the rocky road we had been on for the last couple of years, I knew deep down that Edward loved me. His feelings ran far deeper than Renee's ever had for Charlie, and for that I felt very blessed.

"Yeah, Dad. He… "

"What are your two talking about so seriously?" Sue interrupted, her perpetually sunny disposition banishing our serious mood from the room. As she ruffled Charlie's hair and he shot her a sly little wink, I smiled at their flirting, happy to see my dad so animated.

"Riley's asking for Papa Charlie to tuck him in." I had started to stand, but sat back down at her announcement. "Sorry, Bella, but you've been replaced! It's all about Grandpa." He stood and pecked her on the lips before heading upstairs, "We were just talking about what a lucky man I am, to have a wife like you, Susie-Q."

My jaw dropped open as he bounced up the stairs, two at a time. "Who is that guy, and what have you done with my dad?" Sue just laughed as she shrugged her shoulders.

I laid in bed that night and reflected on my conversation with Charlie. He had worked so hard to please my mom, buying a house at 21, working overtime and sacrificing so many of his own needs and wants so she could stay home with me. But none of it made her happy. The two of them were conflicted at the core. The things he was working so hard to for—things he was so proud to provide for his young family—didn't please her. They made her feel trapped. To him, domesticity meant happiness and security. To her, it was a prison, stifling. That disconnect in their motivations, and the fact that Renee never seemed to make a true commitment to Charlie—they married out of obligation to raise me—made me realize that maybe they were doomed from the start.

Looking at my own marriage, I could see that it was built on a foundation of love and friendship that my parents' never had. Edward and I share so much more than just Riley, and I know deep down that what we have is strong enough to survive.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this short interaction between Bella and her dad. It is an outtake in the literal sense—I cut it out of the story on one of it's many rounds of edits. Speaking of edits, I am stuck on chapter 20 right now. It is written, but needs significant editing and improvement to make it into a worthy ending to Bella's story. Real life craziness and some fear and depression about finishing The Fantasy Basket have caused the creative part of my brain to take a little nap! Hoping to wake up soon with the perfect words and feelings to send Bella and Edward off on their own. Thanks for your patience as we wait.

JEN


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